Means for inflating pneumatic tires.



F1. CLEAVER.

MEANS FOR \NFLATING PNEUMAT'C TIRES.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 9, 1915 2 SHEETS-3HEET I.

WITNESS. I VENTOR F. 1. ELEM/EH. MEANS FOR INFLATING PNEUMATIC TIRES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9.1915.

1 $68,219. Putvn'ted Dec. 7, M5

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

WITNESSI a. 4-1.3. .le

MGRRIS, QNEFOURTPL T9 HEHEERT W.

HGDQD Gill, AND PENNSYLVANIA.

' Specification of itetters l ctent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that i, Fnnirolvr ll. CLs'Avsn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and residing in the borough of Carnegie, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new anduseful linprovemcnts in Means for inflating Pneumatic Tires, of whichthe following is .s specification.

My invention comprises new and improved mecns for inflating thepneumatic tires of vehicles.

More particularly it consists of an improved pumping or bellowsmechanism applied to the wheel and alternately inflated and compressedas the wheel revolves and which pumps air into the inner tube orintcrior of the tire. Means are provided for automatically preventingexcess inflation of the tire, and also for rendering the pumpingmechanism inoperative when its use is not required.

Iii-the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken detail, showingpartly in section a portion of a vehicle wheel rim and its pneumatictire fitted with my lnvention; Fig. 2 1s an enlarged verticsl crosssection of the some; Fig. 3 issn enlarged vertical section of the valvemechanism taken at right angles to Fig. 2; Fig. 4- is e-view similer toFig. 1 showing a modified form of my invention, the rim and shoe beingindicated by dotted lines, the inner tube being broken sway and; thebellows being shown in verticsl section; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectionof the valve mechanism taken along the line V V in Fig. 4-; Fig. 6 is :1broken elevation showing another modification of my invention, and Fig.7 is 9. section of the some along the line VII-Nil in Fig. 6.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings, reference beingfirst had to Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

A represents the rim of a vehicle wheel, and B the shoe and C the. innertube of a pneumatic tire mounted on said rim. The inner tube 0 isprovided with the usual valve tube 1 which extends through the usualhole through the rim A.

D is en inclosed bellows or pump-sack, made of suitable material so asto be cirtight, such es rubber. and fabric or properly treated leather.Said bellows is preferably f substsntislly the contour shown in theApplication filed zlpril e, was.

' oint said relief valve 7 i lerial No. 20,345.

drawings, and is inserted between the innor tube C and the trend portionof the shoe B, as shown. The sole inlet and outlet for said bellowsconsists of :1 tube 2 which extends around one side of the inner tube Cand is forced over the reduced end 3 of a. valve body lil whose exterioris threaded so as to be screwed into a threaded hole in the rim A, asshown. The outer. end of the Pntented flee. i. @5935.

valve body is provided with an inwardly opening inlet valve 4, normallyheld closed by 2; weak spring 5. i

6 is a pressure relief port in the side wall of body E in which ismounted the outvardly opening valve 7 held closed by a. spring 8 whosestrength may be regulated to resist any determined pressure in body E bymeans of a bushing 9. Thus when the pressure in body E rises above thedetermined will automatically open and reduce said pressure to thatpredetermined. 10 is an outlet port in the wall of said valve body E romwhich leads a downwardly curved integral metal tube 11 which isconnected with the free end of the valve tube 1 of the inner tube C bymeans of a coupler 12. The port 10 is provided with an outwardly openingvalve 13, normally held closed by a week spring 14:, thus permitting airto pass from the valve body E when the valve 13 is open but preventingthe escape of air from said inner tube C through said valve body. I

15 is ncup whiclpmayrbc screwed down on the outer end of the valve bodyE to prevent the entrance of air through the valve 4 when desired.

To prevent the pressure in the inner tube (l from holding, the bellows Dclosed oracollapsed. suitable means may be provided, either in the shapeof the material of which the bellows is made or. as shown, by installingwithin said bellows t suitable resilient extender, such as the spring Fwhich is of suflicicnt strength to resist the collapsing effect of tirepressure but which may be compressed when the weight of the ve hicle isexerted on the bellows, as will be the case when the bellows is at thelowest point of the revolving wheel.

The operation of the above described mechanism is as follows: When thebellows is to be put into use, the cup 15 is removed iroin the valvehotly, and the tension of the spring 8 ofthe valve 7 adjusted to relievewhen thedesired pressure is exceeded' The vehicle is then startedto'move, whereupon when the bellows reaches the lowest point of thewheel, the weight of the vehicle will collapse the bellows, driving theair contained in the same up through the valve body E, port 10 and valve14, tubell into the inner tube C. As the revolution of the wheel 10releases the weight of the vehicle from the bellows, the spring F willcause the bellows to extend, closing valve 13 and opening valved, againfilling the bellows with air. It is thus evident that the bellows willbe 15 alternately extended and compressed, pumping air into the innertube C, until the de-- sired pressure is obtained in said inner tube,whereupon the relief valve 7 will prevent excess pressure in said innertube.

When the-cap 15 is screwed down on the end of the valve body E, no aircan enter through the valve 4:, and the pumping mechanism isinoperative. Thus only when the tire is to be pumped up is the cap 15removed. vVhere a puncture has been experienced, the cap 15'm'ay beremoved and air pumped into the tire to compensate leakage until theleak may be fixed. Thus an automobilist need not stop to mend a puncturebut may remove the cap 15 and permit the pumping mechanism to compensatefor the leakage until the puncture may be conveniently mended. I i

In Figs. 4 and 5 I show a modification wherein the bellows D is providedwith an air. tube, 2 leading from either end,'thus preventing theformation of air pockets whatever direction the wheel revolves. Saidtubes are led throughholes in the rim A. and r 0 connect with open ports16 at the sides of the valve body E. The inner end of said valve body isinteriorly threaded to be attached to-theend of the inner tube valvetube 1 which extends through the usual hole 5. in the rim A. The inletvalve 4, the adjustable relief valve 7, and the screw cap 15 are thesame as in the preceding figures.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show a formof ex terior bellows which, insteadof'beinginstalled inside the shoe is made to be clamped outside on thetread of the tire by any convenient means, such as the straps -17. I Theair tube 2" leading from the bellows is at-- tached to a valve body E,provided with an the tire is pumped up, when the bellows may be removed.In mounting the bellows, theend thereof which is provided with the airtube 2* is pointed away from the direction of rotation, to'avoid theformation" of an air pocket in the bellows; I

It is evident from. the foregoing that my invention presents novel andadvantageous means for pumping up tires for vehicles. The deviceisinexpensive and durable and accomplishes its work automatically andquickly, without employing power means of any kind. It may be readilyapplied to or supplied for any vehicle at small cost.

Although for the sake of clearness and illustratioml have minutelydescribed the embodiment oitmy invention shown in the drawings, I do notwish to limit myself thereby but claim broadly:

1. In combination with the rim of a vehicle wheel, an outer shoe mountedon said rim and a continuous inner tube surround- 86 to be alternatelycontracted and expandedby the rotation of the vehicle wheel, a valvebody mounted in saidradial hole and .pro to vided with an inletvalve anda port con- I nected to the air valve of said inner tube, and an airpipe connected to said bellows device and led up around said inner tubewithin said shoe and connected to said valve body, substantially as andfor the purpose 1 describedn i 2. In combination with the rim of avehicle wheel and a pneumatic tire mounted on said rim, said rim beingprovided with. a 160.

radial hole, a removable bellows device atl tached'to said tire andadapted to bealternately expanded and contracted by the retary traveloi'- the vehicle .wheel along the road surface, valve body mounted insaid radial hole and provided with an inlet valve and a port connecteda; the air valve of'said pneumatic tire, and an air pipe connected tosaid bellows device and said valve body, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth. Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa, this 6th day of April,1915. g I FREMONT J. CLEAVER. Witnesses:

Joan McKnm/m, E. A. LAwnnNon.

